politics + tech + advocacy

Apply for Philippine passport at new DFA bldg. starting March 8

Starting March 8, 2010, the Department of Foreign Affairs will accept and process passport applications at the new Office of Consular Affairs building at Bradco cor. Macapagal Avenues, Aseana Business Park near the Mall of Asia.

In an advisory sent through the media, the DFA also said that authentication services will likewise be transferred to the new building starting on March 4, 2010.

Located a few blocks from the old DFA building, the new 7,000-square meter, four-storey building hopes to better serve citizens applying for passports and requesting for the authentication of Philippine documents.

The appointment system sounds pleasant to the ears but it is ABSOLUTELY NOT what everyone is expecting. When you say that you have an appointment on that day, you’ll expect that there wont be long lines and what not. But lo and behold, you have to wait for FIVE HOURS to finish your passport application!

Please don’t go on media telling everyone that it would only take 30 minutes for you to get your passport because that ONLY APPLIES TO CELEBRITIES AND NOT TO THE MAJORITY.
sheLy: One more thing about the so called “COURTESY LANE”. It is universally known that courtesy is given to SENIOR CITIZENS, PREGNANT WOMEN, DISABLED AND CHILDREN. My 4yrs old son applied for a passport but he WAS NOT given any courtesy so HE HAD TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER THREE (3) HOURS JUST TO HAVE HIS PICTURE TAKEN compared to those people who were given some courtesy simply because THEY KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE EMPLOYED AT DFA AND WERE ESCORTED TO THE COURTESY LANE. And the DFA employee wasn’t even patient enough to take a photo of a 4yrs old kid. Whats up with that? The kid waited for that long, you dont expect him to be in a good mood, right?

I’m sure this feedback will not be given any importance and what not but I hope I was able to send the message across.